Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-02-12
SHALL WE 60 AHEADp
How Towns are Built-They
Don't Grow.

SHALL WE 60 AHEAOp
How Towns are Built-They
Don't Grow.
A town Is what the people in it make
it. This maxim was never mure fOrci-
bly, illustrated to our mind than during
our recent visit in the east. Here, in
and about the Devils Lake region, we
have all the advantages. II properly ap-
piled, to make one Of the best cities ~
the west. First, we begin with railway
connection with all parts Of the world.
giving US the advantage Of markets.
Then We have soil that Is umequalled.
Travel where you may and you will not
find land so fertile or so lasting or so
productive. The country Is vet but
thinly settled. Unlike the over r-populat-
Ell sections Of the east, we have no pau
perism and no contagious diseases. For
this we seem inclined to forget to feel
thankful. We have no floods. We have
never had real, genuine drouth. We
have no strikes to paralyze business
and create misery. We have no sore
throats; no consumption. We do have
blizzar,is;-and IL we were not destitute
If appreciation. we would feel thankful
for small favors. five didn't have big
yards, our affections might DO worse.
A good, live, healthy, dry, inviyorating
blizzard III Dakota IL blessing IN con-.
parison with the damp, raw, chilling,
tooth-extracting wind and snow storms
of New York, Pennsylvania. Ohio, etc.
We have assured health and all the ole.
ments which produce wealth. Where
in, then, is our condition worse than
those Of the east aud the south who are
in want, being physically unable to help
tnenlselves1 Why should we not push
our town to the front and make it q me.
tropoliss The process is simple. The
advantages are more numerous than the
disad vantages.
The iron horse that took US east stopped
to quench his thirst at 4 little town
among the hills of western New York.
Stepping from the train we encoun-
tered u regular Yankee striding up and
down the platform.
"Who built so nice town In such q
poor locality1' we asked.
me and Sam Baldwin, and Bill Brown,
and Hv Johnson. Ole man Spriggs
mout O. helped, but no died."
"What do you raise about here to live
ont"
"Nothin'. Other fellows somewhere
else do the raisin'."
"How do you make your money to
buy their producer"
"See that air fine red brick? Wall,
thet's Hy Johnson's residence. He
didn't hev two shilIin's twenty-five year
| ago. He started a lime kiln; and that
other red nlanshun on the hill IL Sam
Baldwin's. He had nuthin' nuther. He
made tho bar'ls for Fly Johnson's lime;
an they both NV 'em got rich. Hy's
mayor NV the town, an Sam goes to
Yurup every winter fur his health
They wuz pushers in their day, an no
grass growed about this here village
when they wuz around. Bill Brown
put Ia the water works and me the
gas works. Joe Carter he built a mill.
See that fillagreed house there1 Wall,
that's Pete Sampson's. He started a
pottery down Ell the holler and got rich.
Pete's whooper. We all jine In when
sonethins to be done; and that's the
way we made the town. Don't take any
capital to make town when you all jine
ill.,"
Yankee ingenuity may be profitably
displayed even in town building. The
location of town Is an important thing
to begin with, but q town won't grow II
its people neglect tn push 1t. There |.
III the minds of most men mysterioua
''som.w where else, ~ place better than
this" Half the world is on the move
looking for tho haven Of their ilnagina.
tion. They never find 1t. Old age comes
on apaco and they die poor. Had the
energy they used in the search for that
somewhere else" been devoted to the
improvement Of their first possessions,
their first home-the upbulldiny Of the
firm, village or city where they flrst 10.
Gated, there would be more happines.
and fewer pAupers' graves.